Radiation Therapy

Why choose radiation therapy at North Central College?

As a radiation therapy major, you’ll have a distinct advantage over your peers with only a certification or an associate’s degree in the field. Your solid foundation in the sciences will support your understanding of this specialized method of treating cancer and other conditions. Your humanities courses will foster your ability to communicate effectively with other health care providers and patients. You’ll spend your first three years on North Central’s campus, completing your liberal arts courses and prerequisites in chemistry, biology, physics and math. During your fourth year after acceptance into the program you’ll take on a clinical-based internship at the School of Radiation Therapy at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital and earn a degree in radiation therapy from North Central College

You can also:

Conduct scientific research and present your findings at local, regional and national conferences.

Careers

For Martyna, North Central College’s unique radiation therapy program gives her a distinct advantage.

“I started researching radiation therapy in high school; the more I learned the more passionate I became. North Central College is one of the few schools in the area to offer a bachelor’s degree in the field,” she says.

Martyna spent her first three years taking science and service courses to prepare for her senior year internship—a requirement of all students in North Central College’s radiation therapy program. She listened to guest speakers at student-run Pre-Health Organization meetings and received individualized help with building her résumé. Her internship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital...

When he began his studies at North Central College, Aaron Langer knew he wanted to prepare for a career administering radiation treatment to cancer patients as well as earn a bachelor’s degree. He intended to major in biology until he learned about North Central’s radiation therapy program.

The program, which combines three years at North Central with a 14-month internship at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital, allowed Aaron to enjoy a variety of courses as a first-year student.

“This year has been a crash course on everything,” Aaron said during his freshman year.

Aaron likes the learning environment at North Central. “When I first visited North Central, I liked the campus,” Aaron...

“My advisors help me set up my classes and make sure I’m on the right track. The pre-health advisor makes sure those classes match with the classes radiation programs wants and gives me tips on ways to make my application better,” Erin says. “There are so many people at North Central who go out of their way to help me.”

Like all radiation therapy majors at North Central, Erin will spend her fourth year interning at the School of Radiation Therapy at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She would like to work internationally as a radiation therapist after graduating.

Dr. Jeffrey Bjorklund oversees the radiation therapy major at North Central. He prepares students for graduate studies and medical careers, giving them the personal attention that's lacking at larger institutions. “At North Central, you can’t hide,” he says. “We ask questions that are specific to you, because we know you personally.”

Bjorklund has published his work in scholarly journals and enjoys teaching students how to conduct research and present their findings at conferences. “The student/faculty research relationship at North Central is collaborative,” he says. “Faculty don’t treat students as lab techs; our students make decisions for themselves. Their choices may not be ours, but we know they’ll...